Enjoying God: Discovering the Greatest of All Pleasures

Joy is the greatest of all pleasures, and the enjoyment of God is the greatest of all joys. Joy is the best gift we can possibly receive, because the Giver offers himself in his gift, and he is supreme.

The enjoyment of God is not only the greatest of all joys, it is the Joy in every joy. Wherever there is true joy, God is in it, whether he is beheld in the enraptured gaze of our hearts, or is the Light by which other pleasures are illumined and experienced as his good gifts. Joy always has to do with God. Always. Whether we know it or not, our experience of joy in every instance is a connection with God. If we are held in hushed delight before a forest ablaze with autumn color, we have encountered the Creator in his artistry. If we revel in a sumptuous meal and find ourselves savoring the experience with a thankful heart, we have tasted his goodness. If we find pleasure in people, it is an enjoyment of God mirrored in them, and, among those who are being redeemed, the habitation of God within them.

There is no joy apart from God. It is not even possible. To speak of joy without speaking of God is a desecration of language. If we knew the true nature and dimensions of joy, we would see that it is always, and never less than, our heart's encounter with the Joyful One. Joy is the touch of God. The fragrance of his presence. A glimpse of his beauty. An echo of his voice.

~ from Enjoying God